Many people might be wondering why tourists visit Philippines. They might hear some negatives things about it or let just say, news about  dirty politics and crimes and, what else? Traffic? War on drugs? Terrorists? 

Actually, those issues are not big issues now. Why? Because Filipinos find ways. Philippines is one of the countries gifted with rich natural resources. It is called as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’. It consists of 7,641 islands. Too many, right? But, it would be a great challenge for foreign people to explore this beautiful country. 

But before navigating, here are some entertaining, interesting, and incredible facts that you may not know yet about Philippines. Read these and have fun!

•  According to the 2000 census, 52 million people in the Philippines speak English, making it the fifth largest English-speaking nation behind the U.S., India, Pakistan, and the U.K.

• Of the top 10 largest shopping malls in the world, three are found in the Philippines: SM Megamall, SM North EDSA; and SM Mall Of Asia.

• The English word ‘boondocks’ is actually a Filipino loanword: the Tagalog word for ‘mountain’ is ‘bundok.’

• Then in 1611, the University of Santo Tomas (or, lovingly, “Usté”) was founded in Manila by the Dominican Order. It is the world’s largest Catholic university in terms of population. Both it and University of San Carlos are older than Harvard, which was not founded until 1636.

• The Philippines has won at least eight major international beauty pageant titles: three for Miss Universe; five for Miss International; and at least one for Miss World.

• This gives the country 36,289 kilometers (22,549 mi.) of coastline and puts the Philippines at fifth place for the longest discontinuous coastline in the world.

• Depending on the method of classification, there are 125 to 170 languages in use in the Philippines, such as Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Bicolano, Waray, and Kapampangan.

•  The Philippines welcomed its 100-millionth citizen on July 27, 2014, making the country the seventh most populated country in Asia and the 12th in the world.

• Manny Pacquiao could currently be regarded as the world’s best boxer pound per pound. He has four major titles under his belt: the WBC International Super Featherweight Title, the RING Featherweight Title, the IBF Super Bantamweight Title, and the WBC Flyweight Title. Out of 45 fights, “Pacman,” as he is called, has won 40, with 31 by knockout.
• The anti-lock braking systems (ABS) used in Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volvo cars are made in the Philippines. Ford, Toyota, and Nissan are the most prominent automakers manufacturing cars in the country.
• Pop singer Bruno Mars is half Filipino and half Puerto Rican. His childhood nickname was “Little Elvis.” His real name is Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez. His stage name was inspired by the chubby wrestler Bruno Sammartino.
• The Philippines is the world’s second biggest geothermal producer after the United States with 18% of the country’s electricity needs being met by geothermal power.
• One of the most interesting and traditional Philippine dishes is balut, which is essentially a boiled, fertilized duck egg with a half-formed chick inside. It is said to be an aphrodisiac. Other unique dishes include camaro, which are field crickets cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar; papaitan, which is a goat or cow innards stew flavored with bile; Soup #5, which is a soup made out of bull testicles; and asocena, or dog meat.
• Of the eight known species of giant clams in the world, seven are found in the Philippines.
• Filipinos observe the world’s longest Christmas season. It begins with the playing of carols in September and officially ends in January with the Feast of the Three Kings. As part of the festivities, they celebrate Simbang Gabi, or Night Mass, where Catholics attend nine services in a row leading up to Christmas Eve. If a person attends all nine masses, it is said their wish will be granted. Filipinos’ Christmas feasts are called Noche Buena and compare to America’s Thanksgiving.
• Over 11 million Filipinos work overseas, which constitutes about 11% of the entire population of the Philippines. Filipinos are the second-largest Asian-American group in the United States, next to the Chinese.
• The Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of nurses, supplying roughly 25% of all overseas nurses worldwide.
• According to Filipino custom, it is considered rude to open gifts immediately after they are given.
• The Philippines is the only majority Christian nation in Asia. Eighty percent of its population identifies as Roman Catholic.
• Some Filipinos are wary of the number 13 and will avoid having 13 people at a table. Also, steps to the main entrance of a house should not fall on a number divisible by three. Superstitious Filipinos will not travel or bathe on Holy Thursday or Good Friday during Holy Week, the week before Easter.
• The Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to gain independence after World War II, in 1945.
• Filipinos are crazy about basketball! You’ll see makeshift hoops erected on every street corner, young men commonly wearing NBA jerseys, and local teams playing in every community hall. Their professional league, The Philippines Basketball Association (PBA) is the second oldest in the world after only the NBA! In fact, a good number of players with U.S. college and NBA experience come to play in the PBA.
• The Philippines produces and exports more coconuts than any country in the world, shipping off about 19.5 million tons of the fruit (called “buko”) every year.
• Filipinos are very social, spending as much time as possible with family and friends. But they also stay in touch these days by exchanging a whole lot of text messages. In fact, it’s estimated that Filipinos send about 400 million text messages every day, adding up to about 142 billion texts per year, earning them the designation “the texting capital of the world.” That’s more than the total number of daily text messages sent in the U.S. and Europe combined. 
• Manila, the capital of the Philippines, ranks as the city with the highest population density in the world (and some of the worst traffic congestion!). In fact, Manila spans only 24 square miles but has 1,660,714 residents, giving it a population density of 55,446 people per square mile. Metro Manila, comprising several other conjoined cities, stands at more than 12,877,000 people, making it one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the world.
• The Philippines island of Palawan has been named one of the best island in the world by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, and other publications, thanks to its jaw-dropping natural beauty. Visitors can explore white sand beaches, swim in lagoons, enjoy island hopping in Coron and El Nido, find some of the best scuba diving in the world, and even traverse the underground river in the capital, Puerto Princesa, a UNESCO world heritage site and the second longest underground river in the world.
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  Jeepneys are the most popular way of getting around in the Philippines. They are colourful and crowded. One of the apparent origins of the word jeepney, is from the words jeep and knee because passengers sit so closely together (if you even manage to get a seat!).
   

• After spending time with Filipinos, your social media following will just explode. The Filipinos are so enthusiastic about their Instagram and Facebook that they were ranked as THE highest selfie takers in the world by Time Magazine in early 2014.

• Jollibee is THE fast food chain, known and loved in the Philippines. The restaurant serves up gems like the Amazing Aloha Burger (with bacon and pineapple) or the Tuna Pie (in place of Apple Pie) and the famous Chicken Joy.

  

• The tricycle is another popular way of getting around in small towns and rural parts of the Philippines.

  Tricycles are literally motorbikes with a sidecar attached to them to carry passengers. The engines of the tricycles range from around 50-125cc so when approaching a steep climb, we would have to get out to reduce the weight to help it climb.

• The karaoke was first invented by Japanese musician, Daisuke in 1971, but it was Filipino, Roberto del Rosario, first patented the Karaoke Sing Along System in 1975 and subsequently commercialised it.
• The Filipino flag is the only one in the world, which can determine whether the country is at peace or at war, depending on how it is flown. It has a white triangle with a sun surrounded by 3 golden stars representing the 3 island groups (Luzon in the North, the Visayas in the centre and Mindanao in the South).
• Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. What were his last words? “Consummatum est!” (“It is done!”). 

• Filipinos are warm, happy, and have a great sense of humor! In fact, the Philippines is one of the happiest countries in the world, ranking near the top on Gallup’s index.  Filipinos also have an uproarious sense of humor, as joking, lighthearted banter, and even singing makes every day in their presence a true blessing. As some Filipino friends have pointed out to me, it’s an inherent trait that helps them cope with such poverty, hardship, and natural disasters. No matter the reason, life in the Philippines is all about smiling, laughing and enjoying every moment with those around you!

  Credits to BuzzFeed, Fact Retriever, HuffPost, Nomadic Boys and Asian Journal.

  Quiet interesting, isn’t it? So, why not Philippines?